Improvement in record-books



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ARDEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN C. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN RECORD-BOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,240, dated July 25, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY ARDEN, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, in the State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Index for Books; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification.

My invention consists of an index with two or more similar series of indexible letters or characters upon ditferent portions of the margin or upon the margin of the cover, fly-leaf, or in any other equivalent position, so arranged that, at whatever page the index may be open, a complete series of indexible letters or characters, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is visible, so that any page maybe at once turned to without the trouble and delay of turning back to look at those letters or characters which, in indexeslof` ordinary construction, are turned down out of sight. My invention consists, also, in the arrangement of a series of letters or characters upon the margin. ofthe cover, ily-leaf, or other equivalent position relative to the slips cut from the margins of the leaves of the index.

I construct the index in any of the ordinary and known forms; but preferably as shown in Y the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l represents one side of my index, altogether closed. Figure 2 represents the other side of my index, altogether closed. Fig. 3 represents my index open at N; and Fig. 4 represents a view of a margin of my index, the indexible letters or characters being affixed to the margin of the cover, and not upon the leaves of the index.

I have upon my index two or more series of the indexible letters or characters, visible respectively from opposite sides of the index, and so arranged that, at whatever page it may be open, the letters or characters invisible upon the one side are visible upon the other. The preferable method of making the index is to cut slips' from the margin of each leaf or leaves dedicated to each letter or character, which slips thus cut are of dierent lengths for each letter or character, so that a certain portion of the remaining margin of each leaf or leaves so dedicated overlaps the remaining portion of those preceding or succeeding it, and upon the portion so overlapping is written, printed, or affixed itslproper and appropriate letter or character. The saine result may, however, be obtained by cutting the margins of the leaves, as above described, and placing the letters or characters upon the margin of the cover, iiy-leaf, or other equivalent position, so that each letter or character serves as a guide to place the finger upon the overlapping portion of the margin of the leaf dedicated to that particular letter or character.

I do not claim as my invention tags lettered on both sides and attached to the leaves of a book to form an index,as such an arrangement has been used before. It is evident that both sides of a tag can never be made to refer to the same page, while, by my plan, the same page is marked in two series, and may be instantaneously separated from all others by referring' backward or forward, as the case may be, in one of them. Tags also quickly become bent and bring so much strain upon small portions of the leaves that they are soon torn and the book thereby defaced and destroyed. I am aware, also, that indexes have been made with more than on-e series of indexible characters, so as to admit of greater subdivision; but in such case all the characters face in one direction, and upon referring to any one ofthe same those in advance are turned over out of sight. (See patent to J. H. Swindell, dated April 2l, 1868.)

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The arrangement in a book of two series of index-letters, ab, upon opposite sides of its leaves, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The arrangement of a series ofindex-letters, c, upon the inside of 011e or both of the book-covers, as described, and for the purposes specified.

HENRY ARDEN.

Vitnesses:

Guns. E. EMERY, T. B. BEECHER. 

